Wilhelm umland



(No Model.)

W. UMLAND.

UPRIGHT PIANO CASE.

No. 324,052. Patented Aug. 11, 1885.

vvn mzsses INVENTEI R Uivirnn States PATENT OFFICE.

XVILHELM UMLAND, 0F NEV YORK, N. Y.

U PPLlGHT-PIANO CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,052, dated August 11, 1885.

Application filed June 6, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILI-IELM UMLAND, of the city of New York, county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Case for Upright Pianos, of which the following specification is a full, clear,'and exact description.

This invention relates to a case for upright pianos, which has a pivoted panel in front adapted to be opened or closed for increasing or decreasing the volume of sound. The panel is used in connection with a lid hinged to the front edge of the piano-top, and the mechanism is so arranged that on raising the lid, the panel is automatically opened or lowered to increase the size of the opening. 7 The opening of the panel also causes the musicsupport to be placed in its proper inclined position, all as will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

The invention consists in the various elements of improvement, more particularly specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of the upper part of an upright-piano case provided with my improvement on the line a a, Fig. 2. Fig.2 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 2 a, Fig. 1, looking forward. Fig. 3 is a similar section as Fig. 1, showing the panel open. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modification.

The letter A represents the case of an upright piano-forte, abeing the front plate, and b the top. The upper edge of the front and the front edge of the top do not meet, but an opening of considerable width is left between them. This opening may be closed by two pieces-a lid, 0, and a panel, d. The lid 0 is hinged to the front edge of top b, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. The peculiar construction of panel 61 will now be described.

6 e are two arms projecting rearwardly near the right and left side of the front a, and pivotally connected near their free ends with the free ends of two arms, f, secured to panel cl. The arms, f, are made preferably in one piece with arms 9 projecting at right angles therefrom, and of a length greater than the distance of arms 6 from the piano-top. It will be seen that by this construction the panel may be swung up ordown around the pivotal connection of arms 6 1''. When swung up, as in (No model.)

Fig. 1, it completely closes the piano-case. hen swung down, as in Fig. 3,' it extends back of the front a, while the arms g project upwardly and raise the lid 0, thereby increas ing the opening through which the sound is permitted to escape.

It will be noticed that by my construction the top is never folded back, and therefore does not interfere with music or other articles placed upon it. Moreover, my panel d when opened is not swung beneath the top,as has heretofore been sometimes done, and which necessitated an increase in the size of the case.

The front a of the case A is made with a central opening, into which is fitted a plate or panel, h, which serves to support the back of the music-sheets. The plate It is provided with pivots i, which rest in suitable bearin gs at the back of front a, and which permit the plate h to assume either an inclined or an upright position. The upper edge of plate It abuts against the rear side of front a when the plate is in its upright position, Fig. l.

j j are springs, which have a tendency to throw plate h into its upright position; and 7c is a hook or stop for preventing plate h from assuming too inclined a position, Fig. 3. From the plate h extends upwardly a rod, 1, curved rearwardly at its upper end. Between this rod and the front a projects the lower edge of panel d.

The operation of the parts is as follows: On depressing asmall stop, m, opposite lower edge of plate hand raisinglid c, the gravity of panel a will cause it to descend and to press plate h out against the action of springs Thus the plate will be placed in aproperinclined position to receive the music. On raising panel (I the springsj will close plate h, and the lid 0 will be lowered, thus properly closing all the parts of case A.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the panel (I is hinged directly to thefront a. The plate h has the rod Z, already described. By swingin g panel (I backward it isopened, and bears on rod L to oscillate and incline plate h.

Moldings on the front a and lid 0 make tight joints with panel (I.

I claim as my in vention- 1. The combination of piano-case A with hinged lid 0 and panel d, all being constructed, substantially as described, so that on raising the lid the panel is automatically lowered,

. substantially as specified.

2. lhe combination of front a, having arms 0, with panel (I, having arms f g, and with lid 0, all constructed and arranged substantially as described, whereby lid 0 is opened by arms 9 when panel (I is lowered substantially as specified.

3. The combination of front a with pivoted panel (I and pivoted plate 71,, having curved rod 7, all being constructed, substantially as described, so that by opening panel d the plate h is oscillated on its pivots, substantially as specified.

The combinatioininapiano-case,0l'hinged 15 lid 0, with pivoted plate h, pivoted panel (I, and with springs j and stop 7.", substantially as specified.

5. The combination, in apiano-case, of the following elements: front (1, having arms 0, with panel (I, having arms f g, and with lid 0, plate h, rod l. spring 7', and stop 7c, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

ILHELM UMLAND.

Witnesses CHAS. JAooB, F. v. BRiEsEN. 

